Phoenix Dreams
by Amissa Moon
Summary: For a century, Radiant Garden's phoenix would protect the land until another is born from the ashes. But a phoenix born from a child of flame is dangerous and unpredictable. Sometimes, you really shouldn't play with fire.
1. Rebirth

_A/N: While I wish that I owned the awesome world of Kingdom Hearts and its characters, I don't. They are the genius products of Square Enix and Disney._

**Phoenix Dreams**

The wind was flavored with spices. Nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger, were strong in the air, mixed with the scents of others he could not name now, but were on the tip of his tongue. He swallowed the scents, attempting to wet his lips and produce saliva for his dry mouth. Slowly, eyes opened, slits of green scanning the shaded room as a slight breeze drifted in from the windows; it was the culprit for the heavy scents invading his sleep. The kitchens were working overtime today for the holiday.

Lea shivered slightly from the breeze, sitting up and letting the silk sheet pool around the lap of his lanky body. Yawning and indulging in a cat-like stretch, He winced and let his palm hover gently over his right shoulder. His sleep-muddled brain had forgotten about the recently completed tattoo. With fiery plumes of red, gold, and orange, the Vermillion Bird almost burned brightly against the fair skin of his shoulder and arm, a few long feathers curling down to his wrist and ending in flamed tips. He flexed his arm softly, testing the tightness of the skin as he sighed.

A timid knock sounded against the dark wood of his chamber door, and Lea swallowed slightly, turning his head to see a maidservant enter his room. She bowed to him once, a soft blush coloring her face as she took in his naked chest.

"Ohayou." (_good morning_) He spoke softly, watching as she lowered her head to cast her eyes from his person. She bowed at him again before quietly moving to tend the room and complete her morning duties. Lea frowned and sighed at her actions, lifting a hand to ruffle the messy red spikes of hair that had been disheveled in sleep. He had been brought to Radiant Garden almost four months ago and had tried to pick up some of the land's language. It was difficult, however, as people rarely spoke to him. They thought it disrespectful based on his position.

He had trouble understanding what that position was, however. He knew the worlds were connected, and being from the southern realm, he understood that he was in the kingdom of Suzaku, the fire-bird of the south. He had guessed that they wished for him to become a priest due to his unique coloring. His hair had a tendency to look like unruly flames and he supposed that the people thought he should belong to the sect of the phoenix. But, it was hard to understand why he had been taken from his homeland with the language barrier and unresponsive citizens making the whole ordeal even more confusing. The priests had been kind to him though, had spent time teaching him bits and pieces of information to aid him in his unknown transition.

"It is a busy day, Lea. You should not waste time sleeping."

Lea turned his gaze from the maidservant back to his door and gave a slight smile to the old priest who was now entering his chambers. He was the Wise one to the sect, the one that had been helping him understand the new environment he had found himself in. The other priests had called him Ansem. He had pale blond hair and bright orange eyes that were often softened in kindness. At the same time, Lea felt that there was something dishonest about him. He hoped that he was wrong.

"I'm awake… it's kind of hard to sleep with the smells from the kitchens. Did you finish the preparations for your ceremony? I know you seemed stressed." Lea answered and widened his eyes as heard the maidservant clear her throat. Once having his attention, she bowed again and gestured to the warm bath she had drawn. Lea let a dreamy smile spread across his face. The hot baths were probably his favorite experience in the city. It certainly beat having to pump his own water and the cold baths it produced. Truthfully, he had despised water before he had been in the steam bath.

"Thank you, Xion. That will be all." The young woman nodded and hurried past Ansem the Wise, closing the door quietly. Lea wasn't bashful. He had already exited the bed, letting the silk sheets settle on the floor as he made his way to the bath. Sighing blissfully, he let himself sink into the warm water. Ansem chuckled lightly at the young male's actions and turned from the room.

"I'll have Xion send some breakfast soon. Your cloths have already been laid out for you. Please remember that I would like you present at the ceremony."

"I thought that was at sunset." Lea murmured, settling as low as he could in the tub while still keeping his head above the water to breath. Ansem turned his head slightly, orange eyes settling on the man. "Yes… indeed." His smile changed slightly. "Sunset and sunrise are sacred moments to Suzaku. And this is a very important ceremony."

"I got it memorized. Sunset it is."

xxxxxxx

To say Lea was frightened was an understatement. The priests had gathered him from his chamber at midday and inflected more tattoos upon him. Two small markings symmetrically below his eyes that had hurt worse than any pain he had encountered before. There were thick gold bands around his wrists keeping him shackled to the ceremonial site.

It would soon be sunset, and he feared what that brought. A soft sob broke out to his left. There were two other males on the platform with him. Both of them wore the same red robes he wore, had the same teardrop markings on their faces and intricately crafted phoenixes detailed into their skin. They were of similar ages, although one had ginger hair that could be considered more of an orange hue while the other had a bright golden blond.

It was the blond who was crying. Sobbing out in words which, while spoken in a foreign tongue that Lea could not decipher, were obviously frantic pleas to the priests and priestess that were chanting and tending to a roaring fire, the blond's face was reddened from the tattoos and his tears. His arms were raw with the struggles against his bonds, blood dripping carelessly to the stone.

In contrast, the ginger was quiet, staring ahead at the city's citizens that came to watch their high priests and priestess perform the ceremony. His cheeks were reddened, not just from the lingering effects of the tattooing, but from the sun. Lea felt as though his own skin was hot, so he believed that a sunburn was certain on his fair skin as well.

Green eyes were averted from the ginger as Ansem and two other priests approached the blond. Ansem carried a gold urn, orange eyes watching the boy as he smiled and wiped tears away from his eyes. He shushed the other male, speaking some of the boy's language before dipping a finger in the urn and caking ashes on the boy's cheeks, following the lines of the tattoos. The flanking priests unbolted the chains from the stone and held fast to the boy.

"Golden child, the sun's rays dance in you and reflect the light. Yet, you cry tears of ash. Why weep when life is born from the ash? If you are the vessel, you will be reborn and reflect the light for all to see. If you are not chosen, then life will still grow anew from you. You will bring the sun to this land and happiness to its entire people." Ansem finished with the ash. Tears were caking the gray matter on the boy's face, his pale blue eyes wide as he struggled to understand the priest's words. The Wise one bowed to him before moving to the next.

A new set of priests fell in step behind the High Priest, while Ansem began to spread the ash on the ginger's face. "Child of orange, you are gentle warmth, enduring in the length of the summer day. Yet, you cry tears of ash. Why weep when life is born from the ash? If you are the vessel, you will be reborn and heal the land. If you are not chosen, then life will still grow anew from you. You will bring luck and prosperity to all."

Lea inhaled and frowned at it all. While the blond struggled against the priests that held him captive, the ginger looked as though he had lost any fight that was in him. He dejectedly let the priests pull him forward towards the fire that the priestesses were currently tending. Lea blinked and narrowed his eyes as Ansem and two new priests walked towards him.

"Why are you doing this!" He yelled at the older man, angry green eyes briefly meeting the yellow and orange eyes of the blue and silver haired priest who took his shackled arms.

Ansem watched him for a moment, a smile gracing his lips as he dipped his finger into the urn to cake it with the gray ash. He continued without answering Lea's question. The other priests had to use one hand each to hold Lea's head straight for the anointing.

"Child of flames. You are the raging fire, bringing life and death in your wake. Yet, you cry tears of ash. Why weep when life is born from the ash? If you are the vessel, you will be reborn and power will reign in the South. If you are not chosen, then life will still grow anew from you. You will energize the kingdom." Lea winced as the priest spread the ash onto his already tender cheeks, the tiny specs of dirt digging into the wounds left by the tattoo.

_This can't be happening._ Lea thought as he struggled against the priests as they dragged him closer to the flames with other offerings. _I'm going to wake up back in Twilight, my mother yelling for me to finish tending the crop. These past months are just a dream!_

But the heat of the flames burned. The sobs of the blond and the quiet indifference of the ginger were not figments of his imagination. This was not a bad dream. Soon enough, tears were streaking the ash from his cheeks, and he closed his green eyes tight as he heard the screams and was pushed into the dancing flames. He curled into himself, screaming in agony and fury as the tongues licked his skin.

And then, time seemed to stop for him as he felt a force slam into his center; Lea gasped as he curled tighter into himself as the flames continued to roar.

xxxxxxx

At sunrise, the priests and priestesses of Radiant Garden approached the blackened heap at the ceremonial site. Protecting themselves against the embers, they rooted through the ash and soot before they found the body. Gently, they pulled the person from the soot and began to clean him. Red hair and robe were singed from the flames and green eyes cracked open for a moment.

"Are you aware of yourself?" Ansem asked softy as he bent over the prone figure. The voice that answered was raspy and weak. "Yes…"

"Your name?"

"Axel…" The man answered before green eyes rolled back and he slumped against the priest. Ansem nodded, gently smoothing some hair back from the young man's face. "So Suzaku has sent us a flurry of dancing flames." He pondered aloud as he gestured for the priests to take Axel from him and into the temple grounds.

"Shall I inform the Emperor?" Xemnas asked, orange eyes watching Ansem the Wise.

"Indeed. Tell him that the Vermillion Bird has chosen the child of flames. A century of power and military success for the kingdom until the phoenix must be reborn again. Siax will guard the phoenix. Phoenixes born from children of flame can be dangerous, especially if remember their birthing. I believe Siax can handle any fury Axel may show."

Xemnas nodded respectfully at the High Priest and turned to make his way towards the Emperor's palace. Ansem watched him for a moment before turning his gaze back to the ash pile.

"Red Phoenixes will need a distraction for their obedience." He muttered quietly orange eyes narrowing in thought. "We will have to find a suitable one." With a nod, he turned and continued his way to the temple.

xxxxxxx

_A/N: Hey all! I haven't written anything in ages, but since I felt the urge to start writing again, I figured what better way to practice then write some fanfiction. I would like some constructive criticism on my writing, seeing as I'm very rusty. I will warn you that I will likely revise this a few times until I'm completely happy with it, and I probably will not be quick with updates._

_There is Akuroku to come! I'm just setting the stage._


	2. Flames

_A/N: Thank you to my two reviewers! I was shocked to have reviews so early. Again, I don't own Kingdom Hearts, nor do I own Final Fantasy._

_~ Sixty years later _

"Roxas! Roxas!" The boy in question jolted awake, papers and pens scattering from the desk where he had fallen asleep. He groaned at the small puddle of ink that had escaped its overturned bottle and was dripping onto the desk. His left cheek felt a bit wet as well and he left another groan out as he touched his face and his fingers came back caked in black.

"Roxas, you're gonna be-" Roxas turned to the door to see his twin brother, Sora, catching his breath as he leaned against the frame, blue eyes taking in the sight before him. Losing his train of thought, Sora started laughing, held tilted down so that his unruly brown hair shielded his face as he pointed to his twin's face while the other arm cradled his stomach.

Roxas rolled his equally blue eyes and pushed away from the desk. "Very mature, Sora. Aren't you supposed to be the older twin?" He asked as he made his way towards the water closet and grabbed a wash cloth to clean the ink from his face.

Sora took a few moments to compose his self as Roxas freshened up. "I'm sorry, Roxy –"("_Sora…" _Roxas growled under his breath for the nickname.) "- but you're going to be late. I heard Seifer talking about it. Both Cloud _and_ Leon are coming to the academy today. Did you hear me? _Cloud and Leon._ If you're late for drills we may not get outta here!"

Roxas blinked and looked up at the mirror, past his reflection to that of his twin's. "Truthfully?" Sora nodded, a bright smile spreading across his face and making him seem younger than his 17 years. "Then you probably shouldn't dawdle waiting for me. You'll want to be line with the others, too!" Sora blinked and nodded. "Right! I'll meet you down there!" His twin flashed his teeth quickly before hurrying back the way he came. Roxas winced and shook his head slightly as he heard a crash at the end of the hall. No doubt Sora had skidded again.

_Cloud and Leon here. _He thought as he started to brush his teeth with one hand and brushed his spiky bond hair with the other. Morning multitasking was a necessary skill when you tended to oversleep. _I can't believe it. Finally a chance to get off this damn Island and do something!_

Destiny Isle was a secluded island in the tropics and the secret base for the Restoration Committee. Their ultimate purpose was to restore the kingdoms to their proper balances and end the constant warfare headlined by the southern kingdom. It was also rumored that some of the avatars from the other kingdoms were being protected at Destiny by the Committee in order to preserve them from the war.

The island harbored a very quiet, elite academy for those who wanted to assist the Committee with its goal. Most of the attendees were orphans, learning skills in combat, magic, and espionage. Such useful skills would assist the Committee and its unofficial leader, Leon.

Sora and Roxas were both orphaned during an attack on Traverse, one of the outermost cities in the eastern kingdom. At the age of ten, they had lost everything and had jumped at the chance to bring honor to their parents' memories and join the increasing number of youth who went to study the arts needed to assist the Restoration Committee with its work. It had taken almost a year to get to Destiny, with all the secrecy involved, but it was well worth the effort.

Leon and his second command, Cloud, hardly had the opportunity to come to the island, let alone at the same time. When the rare occasion presented itself, the students did their best to be recognized and hope to kick-start their real missions.

Roxas spat into the sink and looked back up at his reflection, nodding once before turning off the sink and leaving the water closet to search for better clothes. He had been up far too late last night trying to finish his spell work. He just hoped he was in prime form when it came to drills.

xxxxxxx

"Ya know, maybe we can give him the slip, yo. I mean, scar-face's gotta be off his game sometime, right?" Emerald eyes shifted to the redhead beside him. He was gesturing wildly, cigarette ash flicking around the balcony as he leaned back in his chair, resting his feet on top of the wrought iron railing.

Reno was an interesting character, to say the least. Originally hailing from the western kingdom, his hair was spiked in the front and ended in a long tail, slung like molten lava down his back and shoulders. There were two scars on his cheeks, curling slashes under his eyes. He didn't talk much about them though, nor did he talk about the tell-tale signs of mako in his blue-green eyes. He did talk about everything else imaginable - even nonsense, such as leaving the temple grounds.

Curiously enough, Reno looked a lot like himself. Maybe there was some shared genetics somewhere down the line between Reno's ancestors and his own that would link the two together. They were both redheads, fairly tall and lanky, and each had one hell of short fuse. Well, the temper might actually not be genetics for Axel - that was pure phoenix anger in his case.

Axel raised a brow and snorted, lifting his tea cup as he sipped the drink and look out over the gardens. "You're hilarious, Ren." Despite the current stigma of the southern state, Radiant Garden was, indeed, a radiant garden. Now that summer was ending, the palace and temple gardens had been redecorated with exquisite sunflowers, mums, tiger lilies, and other fall flowers. Not that Axel really gave a shit about flowers, but they were a nice sight to look at.

"No… no… I'm as serious as death, yo." More ash flicking with an accentuated gesture as Axel covered his cup with one palm and pulled it away. "We just gotta find the weakness, right?"

The phoenix shook his head, dark red hair curled like spikes shaking slightly against his shoulders, and grabbed the cigarette from the other redhead's fingers; he took a long drag, emerald eyes glistening in amusement while Reno sputtered at losing his smoke before he sipped his own tea. "Reno, if you really think Saix, of all people, is going to let his guard down enough for us to sneak -"

"Sneak what?"

A booted foot kicked Reno's chair, causing the other redhead to spill his tea as he slid from the chair to the concrete. "Gaia-damn it! And a fucking good morning to you too, Riku." The younger man smirked, aqua eyes gleaming as he pulled Reno's former chair out and sat down on it. "You should be grateful it was me and not one of the others. Thanks for offering your seat, _yo._" The silverette mocked, pouring his own cup of tea.

Axel exhaled slightly while Reno got up on his feet, wiping imaginary dust off his black suit with exaggerated manners. "What's the damage today?" He asked quietly, green eyes meeting aqua as he took another drag before snubbing the butt in an ashtray. The silver haired man winced slightly and glanced at Reno for a moment before adding some sugar to his tea. "I heard they finally took Edge."

Reno paused in his motions and lifted wide eyes to the priest. "The white tiger?" He asked breathlessly. Axel swallowed at the evident pain in his friend's voice. Riku nodded. "News is the tiger's dead. They haven't found a body, but…" Riku trailed off, as Reno glared hard at the ground, hands clenching in fists before he started towards the doors.

"Those Gaia-damned bastards! I'll kill those fucking-" Axel jumped up and pulled his friend back and clamped a palm over his mouth to quiet him while Reno struggled against him. "Shhh… Reno, you know you can't do this… They'll give you to Hojo again." Reno continued to struggle for a moment before he sagged against him and turned to bury his face against the taller redhead's chest, shaking as the phoenix stroked his hair. "Go on, Riku." Axel urged the young priest as he tried to calm Reno down.

Riku watched the two slightly and sighed. "Emperor Xehanort sent Sephiroth… who apparently took over the town. I heard that the Restoration Committee tried to smuggle the tiger out to where they're hiding the turtle and the dragon, but Sephiroth claims that the deed was done. They say there's a celebration at the palace. Ansem and Xemnas are going to join the Emperor in the revelries."

Axel closed his eyes. It had been about sixty years since his rebirth and each year was harder than the next. Radiant Garden was corrupted by its emperor and high priests, as they focused on using Suzaku's powers to force the other kingdoms into submitting under their rule. Axel himself was merely a tool in this scheme, strong spells woven into thick bands around his wrists to keep his inner fire controlled and keep him a prisoner to their whims.

Ansem and his most trusted had been dutifully honoring the Vermillion Bird and taking heed of the ceremonies and sacrifices for centuries, same as the other kingdoms with their own respected deities, but they had been waiting for a child of flames to be the chosen vessel; the child of flames was the rarest vessel for the phoenix and could call forth all of Suzaku's power. The Emperor and his elite had learned long ago to use the phoenix blood of other avatars as a way to remain alive and physically unchanged until they could accomplish their plots. They had noticed that the avatars remained young in appearance from the blood and had concocted a mixture that would halt the aging process on them as well.

As the Emperor rarely left the palace and the high priests rarely left the temple, Radiant Garden's citizens were largely unaware of the extent of the corruption of their kingdom. Those that had spoken of it were never seen again, and so the citizens had learned to turn a blind eye to matters that they could not change.

For the first twenty years of his life, Axel had been blind to the truth, too focused on the distractions they had placed before him. One such distraction, Ventus, had been a close friend to him. Ventus was a powerful novice to the Suzaku sect; he was a golden child, so named for his looks and ability to influence the light. He didn't know of the horrible manipulations of the older priests and was a true friend to the phoenix. There was something calming and familiar about Ventus that made the phoenix's chest ache.

They had tortured him to keep the phoenix from rebelling once they had seen their friendship. The same as they did to Reno now.

That wasn't to say that all of the sect of Suzaku was corrupted. The majority of the sect did not know of the ulterior motives. They were true followers of the phoenix and respected his human form. They merely believed that the empire's actions were the will of Suzaku. Riku, himself, unbeknownst to all, was not actually a priest, though he did a damn good job of hiding that fact. He was a covert member of the Restoration Committee, stationed in Radiant Garden as a spy to help find a kink in its armor. To be honored the privilege of meeting with the avatar was uncommon among the sect, however, so Axel could only wonder at the horrible tasks Riku had to commit to be in his station now and trusted by the high priests and Emperor.

Reno had also been a member of the Restoration Committee before he was captured by the Emperor's warriors two years ago during an attempted sneak attack against the southern kingdom. Many died during the attack, including Reno's partner, and Reno himself became a prisoner tied to the phoenix due to his unique coloring. He wasn't meant to be tied to the phoenix, though. His loyalty lied with the white tiger, and no friendship could erase those ties.

"How fascinating." Reno stiffened at the oily voice while Axel stroked Reno's hair again and tightened his hold around his friend. "Whatever has left our subject in such a state, hmm?"

Axel narrowed his eyes at the two men stepping out onto his balcony. Professor Hojo was a rat of a man, dark greasy hair pulled back from his face and glasses accentuating his beady eyes. To him, no one had a name. They were all, in some way, shape, or form, a subject to his scientific mind. He smiled crookedly at them as he pushed the glasses on the table and set down a pressurized box and other instruments. Saix flanked him, arms crossed and yellow eyes watching the three men.

"I don't believe that is any of your concern, doctor." Axel growled softly, watching both of the men. Saix raised a blue eyebrow and smirked at the avatar for a moment before turning towards Riku. "Riku, you're here early. I trust you shared the good news?"

The silver haired youth discretely took another sip of his tea and nodded his head. "Yes, sir. I thought the phoenix would wish to hear of his triumph." And just like that, the switch had been turned on and Riku was a true asshole. "Indeed." Saix's smile widened as he watched the professor take out a needle, tubes, and canisters from the box. "Sephiroth told me that even if the white tiger made it out alive, he surely wouldn't be living much longer. I hear the explosion caught him straight in his tower. Marvelous, really." Yellow eyes met green. "Such beautiful flames, I'm told."

Axel dug his fingers into Reno's back for a moment, warning the other not to try anything stupid. The doctor clucked his tongue a few moments before setting everything up for drawing blood. Knowing that resisting would only cause more trouble for Reno in his near future, Axel released him and made his way back to his abandoned chair, laying his right arm out on the table.

"Ah, why thank you." The doctor crooned before turning the redhead's arm slightly to get a better visual on his median cubital vein and wrapping a tourniquet around his upper arm. Hojo took out some iodine and cleaned around the vein thoroughly before producing the needle.

Axel looked away and winced as the needle met his skin. He really hated needles. He blinked as he felt a pressure on his left hand, which he had kept stationary on his lap. Reno had sunk to sit Indian-style on the floor. His eyes were focused on a small crack in the concrete by the railing, but he had moved his right hand to seek out Axel's left. Axel closed his eyes slightly as he wrapped his fingers around Reno's, squeezing hard before turning to watch the doctor and priest.

It was a widely known fact that human blood turned red when it hit with oxygen. Phoenix blood, on the other hand, was not red outside the body. It was a unique shade of deep orange that looked like the sky at sunrise or sunset, or a still burning ember. Hojo hummed quietly as he produced a stress ball and urged Axel to squeeze it to strengthen the blood flow. Axel sighed as he watched the liquid ember flowing through the tube to the bag in the pressurized case and wondered how long forty years would least before he could burn again and leave this world behind.


End file.
